


If It Looks Like a Marionette...

by neverenough04



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hook-Up, Online Dating, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:45:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9877445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverenough04/pseuds/neverenough04
Summary: Emma is convinced she needs to branch out, so she reluctantly signs up for a dating/hook-up app to meet some new people. Imagine her surprise when she sees a familiar brunette staring back at her.(It's NOT a hook-up app! Except it totally is.)SwanQueen





	

**One.              An Intriguing Little Thing**

 

“Why do you know about this?” Emma asked, her eyes narrowing.

Henry shrugged. “Mom, come on. I’m eighteen. And I don’t live under a rock.”

“Does Violet know you know about this?”

“ _Yes_ , Mom. She also doesn’t live under a rock. Just because I know about it doesn’t mean I use it.”   Henry rolled his eyes, second guessing his earlier intentions.

Emma scrolled through the screenshots, nameless faces in posed positions. “And _why_ are you telling me about this?”

Henry scruffed his hair and crinkled his nose. “Because I know it’s been a long time. I heard you on the phone with Ruby, and…” he looked away as his face reddened.

Emma was mortified. “Maybe you shouldn’t eavesdrop? Jesus, Henry, this is beyond weird!”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. Maybe _you_ should lower your voice when you’re talking about your um…social life. Anyway, it’s not like this app is to find _sex,_ ” he said, dropping his voice on the word. Emma just squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s about meeting up. Getting to know people. Dating.”

“And sex.”

“For some people, sure!” Henry exclaimed, frustrated. “You know what, forget it. I just thought I would _mention_ it as a way for you to maybe meet some new people. Forgive me, please go back to your tried and true methods of chiseling out love notes on stone tablets.”

“Very funny. I’m thirty-six, not a hundred and six. I _know_ about online dating. I just thought there were profiles to set up and ‘about me’ sections and descriptions of long walks on the beaches and candlelight dinners.”

“Well, that’s the whole point of _Enchanted._ Cutting out the bullshit to see if there’s a connection.”

“Language, _Henry,”_ Emma glared at him, feeling a whole lot like Regina in that moment.

“Okay. I’m gonna go. You can just delete it. I’m sorry I said anything, I was just trying to help. If you see Mom, tell her I’ll come by on Saturday. Love you,” he said, kissing her noisily on the cheek.

Emma hummed her response at him, looking at the real-people reviews and testimonials. Truth was, she really just wanted to meet someone she had something in common with, was attracted to, no strings attached. Was that so impossible?

She pressed down firmly on the app, waiting for the x to appear in the corner. It did, but she didn’t delete it. As embarrassing as it was, maybe Henry was right. It would be nice to meet someone new.

Emma sighed heavily and clicked on the ‘sign up’ link. She entered her name and the rest of the basics, and felt a shot of excitement and anxiety shoot through her stomach.

“Okay,” she read aloud. “Women seeking women, ages, um…thirty to forty-five, within ten miles of zip code. Maybe I should make it twenty.”

When she was finished, she clicked on the ‘take a photo’ button that accessed her camera. She awkwardly angled it above her head and made a kiss face into the camera.

“God, no!” she yelled, deleting. She smiled at the camera again, disgusted by the toothy grin and wild eyes looking back at her. Emma snapped one last picture, a light smile gracing her lips and her hair falling around her face in blonde waves. _Fine_ , she submitted hesitantly, before hitting the upload button.

“’ _If the person staring back at you grabs your attention, give them a thumbs up. They’ll receive a notification that you’re interested, and if they feel the same way, you’ll be considered compatible. A message box will appear to open the lines of communication. If you want to move on, simply click the thumbs down and that person will disappear from your list of potential matches. Have fun and good luck’”,_ she read. “This is so stupid,” she said, beginning to scroll through the photos of women meeting her criteria.

Under the photo of a red-head she found attractive, she saw the acronym ‘DTF?’ Emma scrunched her nose and opened a browser window to Google DTF. “Down to fu – , wow, okay, forward.  Not sure if I’m ready for that yet.”

She continued to scroll, giving the occasional thumbs up. She downed the rest of her wine, but nearly spit out the entire mouthful when she reached the next picture.

A beautiful brunette stared back at her, bottomless brown eyes and full red lips with only a hint of a smile playing at the corners.

Regina.

The small blurb beneath her picture took away any doubt that it was, in fact, her, and not someone illicitly using her photo.

_“Do not contact me if you lack manners, a refined palette, or intelligence. Do not contact me if you are looking for ‘true love’ or any other inane or unrealistic ideals. Do not contact me if you are seeking someone to provide comfort, a shoulder to cry on, or someone to indulge in unseemly fetishes. If any of these requirements cause you the slightest hesitation, do NOT contact me. Thank you.”_

By the time she finished reading, Emma had a full-blown grin plastered across her face. Leave it to Regina to list all of the reasons not to contact her, and _not one_ reason that a person should. Typical, predictable, and kind of adorable.

When the weight of seeing Regina on a _hook-up_ app hit her, (call it whatever you want, it’s a hook-up app), she immediately closed it out. She re-opened it with a slow swipe of her thumb, and then frantically searched for the ‘delete account’ instructions. She found them with a sigh of relief, and began to follow the prompts. Before she confirmed her decision, the ‘are you sure?’ pop up gawking at her from the screen, she groaned at herself and clicked the x instead.

She went back to her potential matches, flipping through the photos until a certain mayor’s glare was filling her display once again.

And then she hit the fucking thumbs up.

 

**Two.              Thumbs Up, Blood Pressure _Way_ Up**

 

A soft chime sounded on her phone. Regina glanced to the other side of her desk where the phone sat, but continued to compose her email to the city clerk.

She saw the gaudy red heart of the _Enchanted_ notification and rolled her eyes. What had ever possessed her to sign up for such a ridiculous service was beyond reason. Henry had moved into his dorm at the start of the school year, leaving Regina to face utter…loneliness. She didn’t realize just how accustomed she had become to the obnoxious banter of Henry and Emma at their weekly dinners, the blare of the television while he played some violent video game, the phone conversations with Violet that echoed from his room. Regina was confident that she would never be an empty-nester; she would never fall victim to such pathetic clichés.

But then the quiet set in. So _very quiet_. When he had first moved out, she wondered if Emma would still come by for their weekly dinners, but neither of them brought it up, and so they had silently come to an end. Regina berated herself for being so damn stubborn, but the window of opportunity was officially closed. If she brought it up again now, it would just look pitiful. Regina Mills was _not_ pitiful.

In danger of becoming a bona-fide hermit, Regina had decided to look into that ‘dating app’ that _Snow White_ of all people had mentioned to her. She had fluffed her off as being out of her mind, but later that night, Regina pulled out her phone and had a quick look. It was asinine, certainly, but spending time with someone in a no-strings-attached type of affiliation didn’t sound all that terrible.

Sometimes she missed the ease of her relationship with Robin. But when she really searched her soul, she couldn’t muster any regret over ending things with him. She loved him; he loved her. That wasn’t always enough. There was no challenge, no exhilaration, no _zhuzh._ These things faded over time, certainly, but what did it mean when they never really existed?

She snuck a look at her phone again, and was disgusted with herself for snatching it off the desk. She swiped the notification and was promptly brought to her home page.

 _‘3 Potential Matches!’_ She was even annoyed by the font.

**Gothel, Age: Shhh, About: Infatuated with potential partner’s hair, the longer the better.**

Regina shook her head and hit the thumbs down.

**Medusa, Age: 43, About: Sculptor, geology enthusiast. Must love snakes.**

Thumbs down.

**Emma, Age: 36, About: Carefree law enforcement officer with a taste for adventure.**

Ooh, thumbs – _WHAT?!_

Blind rage washed over Regina. She immediately hit the thumbs up so the conversation box would appear.

_Just what the HELL do you think you’re doing?_

**Um…hi?**

_If you think this is funny, you’re a lot more immature than I ever imagined._

**Funny? I mean, I did think it was amusing that I found you on here. This is so not you!**

_I am aware of that. It was obviously an ill attempt at making new connections. I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone. I’ll be deleting my account today._

**Why? You shouldn’t be too embarrassed, obviously you’re not alone. I’m here too.**

_Why_ are _you here anyway? No more ‘booty’ calls with the pirate?_

**Your wit astounds me. We haven’t seen each other in months actually.**

_Oh?_

**Yes. Oh.**

_What do you hope to gain from this experience?_

**I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to ask questions like a job interview. But basically the same thing as you. Just looking to meet some new people. Did you know this was a hook up app?**

_I’m familiar with the etiquette._

Like a punch in the gut. Emma chewed her thumbnail nervously, wondering where she should go next with this. It was no secret, she’d always been _very_ attracted to Regina, and their playful flirtations only fueled what lay beneath the surface. But there had never been any discussion (or action) that would have led her to believe that it was even a remote possibility. It was all just happy little inappropriate fun.

Before her brain could talk her out of it, Emma responded.

**Well, since we’re both here…**

_What are you suggesting, Miss Swan?_

**First, I’m suggesting that you don’t call me Miss Swan. At least not until we sign the contracts.**

_Excuse me?_

**I kid, I kid. I’m just saying, if we’re both looking for something…extra…maybe we don’t need to look beyond the town line?**

Four minutes passed like a weighted balloon overhead, threatening to pop and spill heavy chunks of concrete directly onto Emma’s head. She was formulating another ‘just kidding’ response in her head when the telltale bubbles reappeared.

_Are you saying you’re attracted to me?_

Emma let out a groan, more of a whine really, at the carefully placed minefield she was about to tread through.

**Well. Have you seen yourself?**

_Is that a yes?_

**Yes, Regina. That’s a yes.**

_Interesting._

**Why is that interesting? Because I’m a grown child who lives to annoy you?**

_Definitely._

**Are you?**

_Am I what, Emma?_

**Thank you for making this as supremely uncomfortable as humanly possible for me. Do you have any type of attraction or whatever toward me?**

_I’ll repeat the question you asked me: have you seen yourself?_

A flood of unexpected feelings poured through Emma’s body, in places she didn’t even realize existed. When she typed her response, she noticed her fingers lightly shaking.

**Do you want to, maybe, explore this? If not, it’s totally fine, and it won’t be weird between us, I promise. In fact, forget I said anything. Henry said to tell you he’ll see you Saturday.**

_Be at my house tonight at 8._

Before even finishing the sentence, Emma’s screen darkened with the words ‘Regina has signed out’.

 

**Three.           Some Enchanted Evening**

 

Emma ripped through her closet, hating every article of clothing she had ever purchased. She dialed Ruby, her phone cradled on her shoulder.

“Have you ever heard of the dating app, _Enchanted?_ ”

“Oh yeah, the hook up app. I’ve used it a bunch of times. Why, did you sign up?” Emma could hear the sounds of the diner’s dinner rush in the background.

“It’s not a hook up app! It’s a _dating_ app.”

“Yeah, _okay._ Anyway, why?”

Emma sighed. “Because yes, I signed up. And I found a match. But now I don’t know what to do. What do I wear?”

“Cool! Wear something slutty.”

“Ruby, no! I’m not setting out to get _laid_. I’m just…meeting someone and I don’t know what to do.”

“You might not be planning on getting laid, but chances are, they are. It’s been a long time my friend, just go with it!”

“You are no help at all.”

“I think I’m an enormous help. Go have fun, get naked, just enjoy.”

Emma cringed. She was one hundred percent certain if Ruby knew she was meeting up with Regina, _that_ would not have been her advice.

She hung up the call and threw her phone down on the bed. Her _Enchanted_ notification banner appeared with another compatible match. Emma ignored it and continued rifling through her clothes. She could feel actual nerves climbing up her esophagus into her throat.

The Bug pulled up to the mansion at about three minutes past eight. Emma was still fraught with anxiety. Should she have brought flowers? Wine? Whiskey? A Rabbit Pearl with Pleasure Beads?

Cracking her neck back and forth, Emma made her way up the front stairs. As she was about to ring the bell, the door swung open.

Regina stood there, hair perfectly styled, makeup impeccable. A form-fitting navy blue dress that left little to the imagination. Navy heels that accentuated every muscle in her shapely calves.

Emma moved to speak but found that she couldn’t. She coughed.

“You’re late,” Regina said, walking away from her toward the kitchen.

“Sorry?” Emma croaked out, getting her bearings.

“You look quite nice.”

At Regina’s quirked eyebrow, Emma looked down. She had settled on a pair of black dress pants and a red silk blouse, which Regina had complimented in the past. “So do, um, you.”

Regina nodded her thanks, and filled two glasses with red wine.

Emma stood at the kitchen island, her hands gripping the frame of one of the high-backed chairs. “Do you want to grab a bite to eat? Or something?”

Cocking her head to the side, Regina smirked. “As you so eloquently put it earlier, _Enchanted_ is a ‘hook up’ service. This is _not_ a date, Miss Swan.”

Emma choked a little on her wine. “So what is it?” she asked nervously.

Regina sighed, as though Emma was even less intelligent than she had given her credit for. “Logic would lead me to believe that since we connected on an app providing women with a _hook up_ , that this would, in fact, be a _hook up.”_

Emma chewed on her bottom lip and nodded a little too emphatically. “Okay. Yeah, okay. I can get behind that,” she smiled awkwardly. She threw back the rest of the wine, not caring if she looked lushy.

“If you’re finished with your wine, maybe we should head upstairs.”

“Lead the way,” Emma said, sweeping her arm out in a grand gesture. She cringed at her clumsy attempts to be casual, but this was an unequivocal first. With Regina. Her mortal enemy turned civil acquaintance turned co-parent turned friend. And _holy shit_ her ass looked like priceless art in that dress, was this really be happening?

Emma followed her up the stairs, unsure if she was going to burst with anticipation or if she was going to throw up. Either one could happen at any moment.

She watched as Regina switched the overhead light off, and lit a lilac scented candle in its place. She began to slowly remove her heels.

Feeling completely unnerved, Emma closed the distance between them, and put her hand on the small of Regina’s back. She looked longingly at Regina’s matte-perfect lips and licked her own.

“Do we, uh, kiss?” she asked softly, still watching Regina’s mouth.

“I don’t believe there is a rule book for us to follow, Emma,” Regina said. Irritation was apparent in her response.

Sheepishly, Emma nodded. She moved in to kiss her, their lips just brushing lightly before Regina burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Emma asked, recoiling in anger.

“Nothing. Nothing, I’m sorry,” Regina said, her hand splayed out on her chest. “Continue what you were doing. Please.”

Emma furrowed her brow, but leaned back into her, quickly pushing their lips together before she lost her nerve. Regina pulled back quickly, swallowing laughter. “I am _so_ sorry, Emma.”

Emma was about to tell her to fuck off, but seeing Regina, so formal and regal, standing in front of her desperately trying to muffle the laughter deep within her throat, sent Emma into a peal of laughter too. “What the hell, Regina? This isn’t funny!”

“No, it isn’t. I’m not laughing at _you_ , I promise. The whole thing just seems so _ridiculous,_ doesn’t it? We were both looking for an easy, uncomplicated fling and here we are, together.”

Emma sat on the edge of her bed. “Of course it’s ridiculous! I’ve known you for what, like _eight_ years now, and we’ve never even alluded to the fact that we’re attracted to each other?”

“Well, dear, you didn’t need to allude to anything. You were quite apparent.”

“Oh shut up, I was not.”

“Do you really think I didn’t notice all those looks you gave when I was with Robin?” Regina asked, taking a seat next to Emma. “Subtlety is not your strong suit, Emma.”

“And you never thought to say anything?”

“Why would I? You were with Hook. Was I supposed to throw myself at you and demand you leave your lover for me?”

“The word ‘lover’ is kind of gross, just FYI.”

“Okay, your _boyfriend?”_

Emma scrunched her nose at that one too. “Yes, you should have done that. It would have made my decision that much easier, and I’m sure it would have come a lot sooner.”

“Well, I’ve ruined enough lives in my time. I didn’t think it appropriate to keep my tally going.”

“So you _were_ thinking about it then?”

“Of course that’s what you would get from this conversation.”

Emma blushed, and looked straight ahead at Regina’s dresser. “Should we try this again?”

“I’m game if you are.”

She shifted closer to Regina, waggling both eyebrows at her in an anything-but-suggestive manner.

“Do _not_ do that.”

“Sorry.” Emma placed her hand on Regina’s thigh, where she slowly brought it up the length of her body. She traced her fingers lightly over Regina’s breast, and pulled her hand back rapidly.

“Yeah, I can’t do this. Not tonight.” She was afraid to offend Regina; that was the _last_ thing she wanted to do. But if this wasn’t going to happen organically, it wasn’t going to happen at all. Emma stood quickly.

Regina looked down at the ground and back up at Emma, a gleam in her eye. She chuckled softly. “This is not what I pictured when I found myself on _Enchanted_.”

“Me either. I pictured red rooms and blindfolds and dripping sweat.”

Regina shook her head. “Not a picture I need to have in my head, thank you. Though I do know what you mean.”

“Have you met up with anyone?” Emma asked, bristling. She had zero right to feel even an inkling of jealousy, but hey, there it was.

Regina nodded. “Once. She was an actress passing through town for one night only. I thought it was the perfect situation. No strings attached, which has been my motto since I embarked on this nightmare. But I found I just couldn’t go through with it.”

“Who was she?”

“No one you know, I’m sure. I don’t actually even remember her last name. Her name was…Megan something. She said she had starred in a film called… _Transformers._ I think, a while back, but it’s certainly nothing I would ever see.  She was nice enough, but I didn’t feel any type of spark. And after meeting someone in such a cold and impersonal setting, I wasn’t about to force it.”

Emma just stared at her, mouth literally hanging open. “You met up with Megan…you didn’t feel a _spark?_ Are you _kidding_ me?”

“Oh, you’re familiar with her? Lovely woman. But no, nothing there,” she shrugged, pulling her heels back on.

“Okay,” Emma said, rubbing her face with both hands. “She was the only one?”

“Yes.”

Emma drew in a breath. “But you feel a spark with me?”

“I do.” Regina gave her a tight-lipped smile and raised her eyebrows. “But you’re right. Tonight isn’t going to happen, clearly. Would you like to try again some other time?” Regina asked, and if Emma didn’t know her better, she would have thought she sensed some trepidation.

“Definitely.”

 

**Four.             Fun Times with Passive-Aggressiveness**

 

They sat at the dinner table, Emma much more comfortable in jeans a green V-neck t-shirt. She scooped up a forkful of pasta and groaned appreciatively.

“This is delicious. I missed your cooking.”

“I can see that. Thank you.” Regina took a very lady-like bite of her garlic bread and watched Emma with amusement.

“Can you imagine if Henry knew?” Emma smiled, gulping down some water.

Regina cringed. “No, actually I can’t. Do you think he would happy? Or mortified?”

“I think he’d be happy. He’s always wanted us to get along. He was thrilled when we started doing the weekly dinners.”

“Weekly dinners are one thing, his mothers dating is quite another.”

Emma looked up from her plate. “So is that what we’re doing? Is this a date?”

“Don’t make it awkward, Miss Swan.”

“I think you just did, with the whole Miss Swan nonsense.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Fine, _Emma._ I don’t think we need to define anything at this point.”

Emma watched as Regina continued to eat. Her heart swelled with unfamiliar emotion. She’d always had a soft spot for Regina, but she never allowed herself to feel _anything_ beyond that. It would just end with heartache, and Emma avoided it at all cost. Her on-again, off-again with Hook had been pleasant enough, but she never had that nervous knot in her belly that Regina brought on by doing nothing at all. She was _chewing_ , and Emma wanted to reach over and squeeze her hand.

“Are you finished staring at me?” Regina asked, the corners of her lips turned slightly.

“Um, probably not. You’re very cute, you know.”

“Cute? I am many things, _many_ things, but ‘cute’ is not one of them.”

“Aww, you’re adorable when you’re wrong.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Would you like dessert?”

“Is the sky blue?”

“Thought so.”

After dinner, Emma followed Regina into her study, where she set a fire in the fireplace. The flames were licking at the top of her wrought iron safety screen.

They sat close together on the couch, Emma’s thigh consciously pressed up against Regina’s. The contact warmed her just as much as the wine.

“Have you ever thought about…us?” Emma asked, fingering the side of her glass. “I’m not trying to make it weird, honest, I’m just really curious.”

Regina stared at her for a long while. “Yes. When we returned from Neverland, I felt something…change between us. I was waiting for you to say something, to _do_ something, but then you started seeing Hook. So I assumed it was one-sided.”

Emma looked at her incredulously. “Why did _I_ have to be the one to make the first move?”

“I tried to run you out of town, poison you, curse you, and steal Henry away from you. I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”

Emma stifled a laugh. “Okay, I get it, I guess. But you never gave me any reason, like _any_ reason, to think that you were interested in me. Even after I was with Hook, I thought about it often. Then the whole soulmate thing happened, and I figured that was it. Unread chapter closed.” She looked down at her hands. “If you had given me the _slightest_ hint that it was something you were open to, I would have been all over you like cheap perfume. Refill?” she asked, handing Regina her glass.

“I didn’t know,” Regina said softly. She got up and refilled Emma’s glass, topping her own off as well.

Emma’s phone blipped another notification from _Enchanted_ from where it sat on Regina’s coffee table. Regina noticed it and smiled.

“Are you going to get that?” she asked, placing her hand on Emma’s knee.

“Um. No?” Emma looked down at her hand and felt a jolt of electricity stream through her blood.

“Don’t let me stop you,” Regina shrugged, drinking her wine. “Who knows, maybe it’s the _one._ ”

“Why are you saying that?”

“I just don’t want you to miss out on any opportunities, Emma. People often find love when they least expect it.”

“You’re being a jerk. How would you feel if I said that to you – while we’re on a _date_?”

“Actually, you couldn’t say that to me. I closed my account and deleted the app.”

Emma sighed. Regina had no right to expect her to do the same, when they hadn’t defined anything, and she had _no_ idea that Regina had deleted anything. Regina was being unfair. Emma knew she was being baited, but she still felt like an ass.

“Would you like me to do the same?”

“I would never ask that of you.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

Her phone rang then, startling them both. She saw that it was David and answered.

“I have to go. Duty calls, some kids are gambling over at the docks.”

“David can’t handle that?” Regina asked, annoyed with herself at the petulance in her voice.

“He’s at Granny’s settling some sort of rent dispute with Gold.”

Regina stood up and motioned toward the door. “Maybe this is an omen.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. Can I see you tomorrow night?” Emma asked, shrugging her jacket on.

“I’ll be here.”

“Then so will I.” She placed a quick, chaste kiss on Regina’s lips. “See you then.”

Emma jogged out to her car, astonished at herself for possessing the gall to do that. And then her insides folded in on themselves when she realized she’d just kissed Regina Mills goodbye.

 

**Five.              Strings and Things**

 

_I reactivated my account._

Emma saw the message pop up on _Enchanted_ and felt herself begin to boil. She was tired from the shenanigans of the night before, and this wasn’t helping. Clearly Regina was playing some sort of angle.

**Okay. Why?**

_No strings attached. You, my dear, are rife with strings._

**Why are you telling me this? To hurt me?**

_You scare me._

**Well, you’re not exactly a peach.**

_I’m serious._

**How?**

_I assumed once Robin and I split up, that would be it for me. No more soulmates, no more true loves, no more intimacy. And I was strangely okay with that. Until I saw your stupid thumbs up._

**I don’t understand. Why would any of that make you reactivate your account?**

_I had to see if I wanted to pursue anything else. There were a few compatibility matches in my inbox. Attractive women, who just wanted to spend some time together, relieve some stress, maybe. No strings attached._

**Okay…**

_I don’t._

**You don’t?**

_No. I’m tired of closing myself off. I want you._

Emma felt her heartrate quicken immediately.

**No strings attached?**

_Emma, you have more strings than a damn puppet. If you can find a way to get over here without tangling yourself up in them, I think we might be ready to get back to the genuine intentions of_ Enchanted. _Haven’t we waited long enough? Eight years is a_ very _long time._

Emma signed out without another word. She closed the lid of her laptop and called a hurried goodbye to David.

She plowed through Regina’s front door, standing there in her jeans and tank top. She left the uniform in the car, unwilling to sully the moment with beige polyester.

“What changed?” she asked, when Regina finally emerged from the kitchen, black slacks and white silk and crimson lips. Regina said nothing, only walked toward her with a purpose. She slid her hand behind Emma’s neck, pulling her forward. Regina brought their lips together, an explosion of hunger and yearning and years of things unsaid.

Emma dropped her bag to the floor, wrapping both hands around Regina’s waist. She wanted her so badly she could feel her heart threaten to pound through the flesh of her chest. This was so very different from the first time they had kissed in Regina’s bedroom, where the other woman could barely keep a straight face.

“You’re not laughing,” she whispered, as they finally broke apart.

“It’s not funny anymore,” Regina said, staring intently into the green abyss in front of her. She smiled lightly and pulled Emma close again, rapidly losing herself in the ferocity of the moment.

When they parted, for need of air and no other reason, Emma rested her forehead on Regina’s. “Should we go upstairs?”

Regina answered with a ‘mmm’ and ran her hands under the hem of Emma’s tank top, her fingers melting into the softness of her skin.

They startled when Regina’s phone rang. “Ugh,” Emma groaned, craning her head toward the ceiling.

“One second, it’s Henry,” Regina answered, pressing the accept button on her phone. She didn’t move her free hand from Emma’s waist; she wasn’t sure if she would ever move it again.

“Mom, it’s me. I have a question. And I need the truth. Why is there a picture of you and _Mom_ on the app store screenshot for _Enchanted_ with a heart around the two of you? Why does it say ‘compatible’ with an exclamation mark? I am literally dying over here! Mom, answer me!”

Regina laughed, heartily, before pressing the end button on the screen. She turned back toward Emma, whose eyebrows were raised in question.

“I believe we were headed upstairs?”


End file.
